House Centipede

Natural Habitat

Typically found indoors in damp, dark areas such as basements, bathrooms, and closets; outdoors in leaf litter, under rocks, or in woodpiles.

Diet & Feeding

Carnivorous predator; feeds on household pests like spiders, bed bugs, termites, cockroaches, silverfish, ants, and other arthropods.

Behavior Patterns

Nocturnal and extremely fast runners; they hunt by pouncing on prey and subduing it with venomous legs (forcipules). They are skilled at navigating vertical surfaces.

Risks & Benefits

Benefits: highly beneficial as effective natural pest control. Risks: generally harmless to humans; can sting if handled roughly, but their jaws are usually too weak to penetrate skin, and the venom is not dangerous to most people.

Identified on: 3/5/2026